I won’t throw trash into bin lorries again, says man

VINCENT DOYLE believed he had found a foolproof way of getting rid of his household rubbish without paying local authority waste charges, a judge has been told.

He would simply dispose of it personally — by throwing it into the back of waste collection lorries as they passed his home in Ventry Drive, Cabra, Dublin, Judge Terence O’Sullivan heard.

The plan had apparently gone so well at first that neighbours also decided they would similarly dispose of their rubbish, Carol O’Farrell, counsel for Dublin City Council told the Circuit Civil Court.

Doyle and a few of his neighbours all began throwing their plastic rubbish bags into the back of council’s bin lorries.

Dublin City Council, which in January 2001 had imposed charges for waste collection, noted that Doyle and some of his neighbours had refused to pay the charges.

Ms O’Farrell told the court his neighbours, when contacted, had given the local authority undertakings not to dispose of their rubbish in this way and pay the charges.

She said Doyle had refused to give the undertaking and the council was asking the court for an injunction permanently restraining Doyle from flinging his waste into the council’s passing bin lorries.

Karen Nolan, counsel for Doyle, told Judge O’Sullivan that Doyle was prepared to give the court an undertaking on oath not to place, throw or deposit any household waste in any passing bin lorry.

Doyle told the judge he understood the undertaking also restrained him from asking or employing any third party, neighbour or friend to carry out the bag throwing exercise on his behalf.

Ms O’Farrell said the presence of anyone at the rear of bin lorries for the purpose of throwing refuse sacks into the rear of the vehicle posed a risk to themselves and the council’s employees.

Since January 1, 2008, the charge for the collection and disposal of household waste is payable as a fixed charge of €91 a year except for householders for whom such charges have been waived by the local authority.